Mega Battery Projects Forum 2026 Opens Today in Riyadh, Driving Utility Scale Energy Storage Across the Middle East and North Africa
The Mega Battery Projects Forum 2026 officially opened at the JW Marriott Hotel in Riyadh, bringing together senior decision makers from government authorities, utilities, developers, engineering procurement and construction contractors, investors, and technology providers to advance the deployment of large scale battery energy storage projects across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa.
As countries across the region accelerate renewable energy development and modernize power infrastructure, battery energy storage has emerged as a critical enabler of grid stability, energy security, and decarbonization. The opening day of the forum focused on addressing the technical, commercial, and regulatory challenges associated with delivering utility scale and giga scale battery storage projects.
The forum is supported by leading public and private sector organizations, including the Saudi Electricity Project Development Company, the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company, Yellow Door Energy, and the Sustainability Professionals of Saudi Arabia, highlighting strong collaboration between government entities and industry stakeholders driving the regional energy transition.
Day One featured keynote addresses and strategic panel discussions delivered by senior industry leaders, including Eng Mubarak Al Otaibi, Senior Vice President for Projects Business Line at the Saudi Electricity Project Development Company, Ulf Schulte, Chief Operating Officer of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company, Dr Marek Kubik, Cleantech Entrepreneur and Energy Storage Expert, Yogesh Kanna, Vice President Energy at DAR Engineering, Marwan Abduljawad, General Manager of the General Department for Sustainability at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Abdelaziz Saleh Saidi, Senior Transmission Engineering Expert at the National Grid of Saudi Arabia, Eng Ashraf Ali Mohammed, Transmission Engineering Specialist at the Saudi Electricity Company, and Krunal Patel, Director of Battery Energy Storage Technology at ACWA Power.
Discussions on the opening day addressed grid scale battery deployment strategies, project financing and bankability, procurement frameworks, transmission and grid integration, safety standards, lifecycle management, hybrid solar and storage projects, long duration energy storage solutions, and localization and supply chain development.
An interactive exhibition opened alongside the conference, showcasing innovations in battery technologies, power electronics, fire safety and thermal management systems, digital energy management platforms, monitoring solutions, and asset optimization tools, providing delegates with direct access to cutting edge technologies and expertise.
With Saudi Arabia targeting significant battery storage capacity as part of its national energy transition agenda, the Mega Battery Projects Forum continues tomorrow with further technical sessions, case studies, and high level discussions aimed at strengthening collaboration and partnerships across the energy storage value chain.